Entwined Realms Volume One(142)

Here…dear fucking gods…here was an abomination. This ground, this wasn’t soil – this was flesh. The desiccated flesh under the mortician’s knife, the dry flesh of death not yet decayed. This was tendrils of evil masquerading as life, as foliage, of…of…

“Nalah?”

Esh’s low, worried tone broke through, and the magic receded, quieted, the song waning. Her focus came back to find everyone looking at her. “I’m sorry. What?”

“We lost you there for a minute,” Tiffany said. Her smile was tentative, the lack of her usual exuberance telling how lost Nalah must have appeared.

Training took over and Nalah pasted on a smile without thought. The magic still sent an occasional pang through her. Even in the warmth of the room shivers ran through her body, and Nalah huddled a little closer to Esh to disguise them. She couldn’t unpack this, not yet, not in front of them, so she had to keep marching through. “I’m so sorry. So much has gone on these last few days, I think it caught up with me in a serious way.”

At least Tiffany accepted the excuse, because her voice and movements grew loud again. “I know! Us too! Oh, and you didn’t hear this, it happened after you left, but we found out one of the guards was actually a thief, can you imagine? How scummy can you get, coming here to steal from us! Isn’t that low?”

Tendrils of ice slid down Nalah’s spine, freezing her as she stood before Beylor. Esh’s voice, low and hard, carried through the air. “He didn’t do anything that could hurt the fighters or those with us, did he?”

Beylor scoffed, raised his hand through the air in a dismissive motion. “Don’t be ridiculous. He was after our guests and their wealth. What could the fighters have that would interest a thief?”

“Wanted to make sure,” Esh replied. “I’m not leaving Nalah alone if your security is so shitty.”

That caused Beylor to go red, and Nalah swore she could hear his blood pressure raise. “My security is top-notch. He was found, wasn’t he?”

“Think I’ll go to my apartment, look around to make sure.” Esh’s hand landed on her shoulder. “Come on, Nalah.”

“Night, Tiffany.” Nalah’s parting was automatic, but Esh didn’t linger for any reply. With quick steps he took them back to their apartment.

The next several actions happened in blinks. Blink and she was sitting in the chair in their room. Blink and she had a blanket over her lap and a water glass beside her. Blink and he was crouching in front of her, his eyes steady on her. He raised the glass and pressed it in her hand. “Drink. You still look in shock.”

She grabbed the water, aware of a disconnect between her body and brain, but not quite able to break through and correct it.

Taking the glass away after she had a sip, Esh set it on the table beside them, then fisted his hand through her hair and pulled her head up for a hard kiss.

One moment, two, and then fire raced through her body, shattering the ice and she kissed him back, tasting whiskey as his tongue battled hers.

Another minute before Esh pulled away. “You with me now?”

“Isn’t a slap across the face the usual way shock is handled?”

He smirked. “Smartass reply. Glad to have you back.” The smirk disappeared. “Probably your guy, huh?”

“Probably.” She didn’t know what else to say about that. Beylor had him killed, no doubt, but she didn’t even know his face. “I’m horrible. I’m more upset I have to figure out how to do this without him than the fact that a man is dead.”

“He wasn’t your friend and you’re amongst enemies. You’re thinking how to get safe. The mourning will come later.” He spoke with full certainty, and even if it was self-serving, Nalah hung onto the words and let them comfort her. Esh continued, “Even before we found out about the contact, you were acting strange.”

“Did you notice-?”

“Tiffany wearing the ring? Yeah.”

Distant notes played through her head. The ring calling for her, or the memory of such strong magic. “Tonight the magic revealed itself to me. I know what it is.”

Taking the ring would be easy. Living with the consequences, not so much. Words she once thought were only an excuse to thieve the one physical item of value to her, but now she knew their prophetic nature.

Esh remained silent, waiting for her to elaborate. “It’s called a Realm Jumper. It’s rare. In fact, I never thought they really existed.”

His eyes never wavered, and no, she hadn’t been mistaken. The flame in them was more intense, more defined, even from this morning. “What is this not-myth Realm Jumper?”